Examining leisure event opportunities of Isle Royale National Park: bridging the gap between social process and spatial form

Abstract

To manage various recreation opportunities, managers and planners must consider the spatial and temporal scale of social process when identifying opportunities on base maps. However, analyses of social process and spatial form are often treated as two distinct approaches--sociological and geographical approaches. A sociologist might control for spatial form by adopting landscape zones before examining social process (such as the attainment of solitude). On the other hand, a geographer might control for social process (by selecting and studying visitors who attain solitude for example) before examining spatial position of visitors. The two contradictory strategies can lead to very different results. To avoid this contradiction at Isle Royale National Park, leisure event opportunities—a concept that harmonizes both sociological and geographical approaches—were examined during a visitor study.

Parent Publication

• Wilderness science in a time of change conference-Volume 4: Wilderness visitors, experiences, and visitor management; 1999 May 23-27; Missoula, MT

Citation

Pierskalla, Chad D.; Anderson, Dorothy H.; Lime, David W. 2000. Examining leisure event opportunities of Isle Royale National Park: bridging the gap between social process and spatial form. In: Cole, David N.; McCool, Stephen F.; Borrie, William T.; O’Loughlin, Jennifer, comps. 2000. Wilderness science in a time of change conference—Volume 4: Wilderness visitors, experiences, and visitor management; 1999 May 23–27; Missoula, MT. Proceedings RMRS-P-15-VOL-4. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 155-159